


When Death Calls

by Stephen_Hawking24



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Cancer, Domestic Fluff, Husbands, M/M, Major Illness, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-01 17:00:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20261464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stephen_Hawking24/pseuds/Stephen_Hawking24
Summary: Leonard's and Jim's daughter is dying of cancer. This is the journey of a family in great despair and still sticking together even when times seem to not even make that possible.





	1. Chapter 1

She glanced at the window. The rain was falling down over the city of Atlanta. It was always quiet at the top of the hospital. It felt like she was sitting in her own palace. That's what she felt sitting in her room in the oncology department. Annikie over hers her fathers talking out in the hallway with the doctors. Whisper, whisper, whisper, that's all they do. She turns to the right side of the bed and got up, dragging her IV pole with her. 

"This stupid thing," she thinks to herself. She steps to the door and hears one of her father's saying "Are you sure there is nothing else we can do?" While assuming that the doctor responds with "If there was something, you know that we would pursue it. The... cancer has gone too far. I'm...I'm deeply sorry."

What? Annikie could not understand what the doctor was saying. She thought her chemotherapy and radiation treatments were going well. She jumped when she heard her other father howl in emotional sorrow."OMG, we can't lose her!" he screamed. Annikie could hear her other father comforting him, going "sh,sh, it is okay honey."

Annikie took a step back. She had no idea what this meant or could have meant. But, when she heard the doors opening, that's when she knew she was going to find out. 

Leonard could not believe the news he was hearing coming from the doctor. How is he supposed to tell his baby girl that she only has a few weeks only to live because cancer has spread to her brain? She is only 13 for god's sake! He's a doctor himself so he should be able to cure his own daughter. When he heard that, he just could not keep it in. He screamed out his rage and pain. And right when he was going to fall, his husband Jim was right there to catch him. 

"Sh, sh, it's gonna be okay honey. We got this." Jim said while embracing Leonard. "How?", Leonard said as he looked up. "How's it going to be okay? Were going to lose her Jim! Were gonna..." his words were cut off when he placed his head on Jim's chest. Jim nodded to the doctor, signaling that they would be ready for him in a minute.

"Bonsey, we can do this, we can get through this" Jim whispered in his husband's ear. Leonard looked into Jim's eyes and said, "how are we even going to tell her, I mean, who wants to live like that?"

With that Jim responded "Well we have to tell her so she's not kept in the dark, so she can understand what's happening. Leonard only nodded while telling Jim he was going to go get some tissues.

Jim just stood there in disbelief. In all his life as a soldier could he be even potentially ready for this loss. She was Leonard's and his prized possession. A gift that could never be received again. He remembers the day when the adoption papers all went through, money was spent, and the background checks were made. That day when the caseworker brought her to the door and he held her for the first time as an 8-month-year-old, his heart just melted. And he would never forget the way Leonard's eyes softened and lit up while looking at her. At that time he knew that their lives changed. Their lives were not meant to protect and love Annikie with all their hearts. And now after all they've been through, the fights, the crying, the want-to-be-girlfriends that Jim would never allow to touch their daughter, came down to disease. A disease that was going to take their daughter's life.

"Shit!" Jim mumbled as he sat down in his chair, starting to cry. 

When Leonard finally came back he saw Jim in his new state. He looked tired, worn-out just as both of them were. His heart broke when he saw him cause he knew how much Annikie meant to the both of them. She was their world. He walked over and placed some tissues in his open hand and started to kiss him lightly on the nape of his neck.  
"Darlin, we should get going, I think the doctor has to leave soon," Leonard stated between the kisses.   
Jim said, "you're right, as always." He looked right into his eyes when he said "no matter what happens Bones, I am going to stick by you and Annikie no matter what. You hear me?" His voice cracked on the last word. Leonard's eyes started to well up again. He closed his eyes and took a breath. While he opened them he said "I understand you loud and clear. And you know the same applies to you." When he finished he placed a strong kiss to Jim's lips, and after that, both of them turned and heard the doctor's footsteps approaching. They both looked at each other and grabbed each other's hand.

"Ready?" the doctor asked. Leonard and Jim looked at each other and nodded.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leonard's and Jim's daughter get the news and it is a lifechanging moment for each and every one of them.

The doctor and Annikie's fathers both entered the room. Annikie was sitting on the right side of the bed, her wires all stretched out to maximum capacity. She glanced up and seen her father's faces for the first time that day. Leonard's eyes were bright red like he just recently wept, while Jim's were already welling up. She noticied they were hilding hands, and for some reason that just made a pit fall in her stomach.

"Oh no," she thought. "This is not going to be good. Immediately when Leonard has seen Annikie he rushed to her and planted a soft kiss on her head. 

"You should be laying down missy," he said with a twinge of a smile. 

"I know but I feel like I have been doing it for a million years, I just would like to sit up for a change."

Jim walked over to where Leonard was standing and said: "I know honey, but you should really listen to your father, you need to rest."

Annikie nodded and started to slide back into bed, but she winced when she felt a pang of pain in the side of her head.

"This chemo has got me feeling sick," she thought. Some days she couldn't even move because the pain surrounding her entire body would get so bad. She had to move back slowly otherwise sometimes the pain in her head would make her throw up. Her father's usually had to help her, one grabs her shoulders and the other grabs her legs and lifts her into bed. After that Leonard tucked her in while Annikie got settled in.

"Well...Annikie, we have something to talk about." The doctor replied while standing in front of the bed. Jim moved to where Leonard was sitting by the side of the bed. The doctor sighed and said

"Annikie you know how we said in the beginning that this course of treatment was not a guarantee to work."

"Yes," Annikie replied shakily. She was so nervous and had no idea what the doctor was going to say. Leonard held out his hand while Jim looked deep into her eyes. She took ahold of Leonard's hand and tried to communicate to her other father confusion and shock. This was not what she was expecting to hear from this conversation. 

"Annikie, to put it simply cancer has spread to your brain."

"Okay, well, can't you just take it out?" Annikie replied hurriedly. She was getting anxious while hearing this new news.

"It's..It's not that simple." The doctor struggled to get out. "It's on such a part of your brain that is too dangerous to excise it, and it's on a part of your brain that controls your survival functions."

"The amygdala." Leonard interrupted, the doctor coming out in him. 

"The tumor works and enlarges in size fast, in approximately 6-8 weeks it proves to be fatal." The doctor stopped and took a deep breath and ended with saying

"Annikie I am so sorry, just know that you can still fight with whatever time you got."

Annikie was in complete shock. She puts her hand over her mouth while she scrunches her eyes to stop the oncoming tears. Annikie thought she was going to hear the words remission and that treatment was going well. But no, she heard her worst fear and the thing that is associated with the 'c' word. Death. The doctor then said

"I will give you guys some time to process and then we can talk about some options for potential hospice."

Annike came out of her silence and sobbed "Hospice, I don't even know what that is."

"And we will explain everything." The doctor said. He nodded and excused himself from the room. Both of her fathers turned to her. While the first tears were starting to fall, she just thought of all that she has been through. The chemo, the radiation, the side effects, and what did it all come too?

"But daddy, I..I don't want to die!" Annikie cried out. At the moment both Jim's and Leonard's heart just broke. Nobody should have to deal with an upcoming death date. 

"Oh, baby, I am so so sorry that you have to go through this!" Leonard sobbed he could just not hold it back. He leaned forward and embraced Annikie. Annikie responded but just falling into her father's chest. Jim came and placed his hands on each of Leonard's shoulders. He then embraced both of them from behind. After a while, Annikie mumbled into Leonard's ear "What are we going to do?"

"Baby, we are going to do what we always do, we are going to keep moving forward and stick together as a family. We are going to work through this and we are going to make sure you get what you need. It is going to be so fucking hard but I promise we are going to be okay." Jim said while tears were falling down his cheeks.

"I hope so, because I do not know how I am going to do this" Annike thought while staying in their group hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be continuing and I hope that I am evoking something in each in every one of you. :)

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever work! I hope you guys enjoyed it and let me know what I can improve on :) More chapters will be coming soon


End file.
